1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a work vehicle having an engine and engine accessories behind a driver seat.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-240214 (paragraphs [0020] to [0036] and FIGS. 1 and 2; corresponding foreign application: US2009/0241498A1) discloses a mid-mount mower as a work vehicle, in which a driver seat is provided in a central portion of a vehicle frame supported on the ground by front and rear wheels and an engine and engine accessories are provided behind the driver seat. In this mid-mount mower, the engine and engine accessories, which are covered by a hood, are disposed in a space to the rear of the driver seat. The hood has a divided structure composed of two portions divided in a vertical direction (direction of height above the ground). The hood includes a rear cover connected to the vehicle frame and an upper cover pivoted at an upper rear portion of the rear cover. The rear space covered by the hood is divided into two spaces by a separation wall that includes a front wall and a bottom wall, the front wall extending along a front surface of the engine, the bottom wall extending along a bottom surface. The upper cover completely covers above the rear cover in a closed posture, and completely opens the space inside the upper cover in an open posture, in which the upper cover is swung so as to largely project rearward of the vehicle. The hood structure, meanwhile, requires a large space in the rear of the vehicle to open the upper cover.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-074293 (paragraphs [0012] to [0015] and FIGS. 1 and 3; corresponding foreign application: U.S. Pat. No. 7,527,298B1) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-341743 (paragraphs [0018] to [0026] and FIGS. 1 and 4) disclose a front mount mower as a work vehicle, in which an engine and engine accessories are provided behind a driver seat. In this front mount mower, an engine compartment covered by a hood includes the engine which is mounted in the rear of a left-right pair of main frames and the engine accessories, such as a radiator for cooling the engine, provided in front of the engine in the vehicle. Dustproof nets are provided at a front end and two front side surfaces of the hood to serve as engine cooling air inlets. The engine cooling air inlets are open on both outer lateral sides and a top side of the vehicle. A rotating cooling fan driven by the engine blows air. Thus, air outside the hood is suctioned through the engine cooling air inlets to the vicinity of the radiator in the hood, and then engine cooling air is generated and supplied to the radiator. To this end, an anteroposterior length of the vehicle is lengthened to increase an amount of cooling air flowing in from the engine cooling air inlets in the two side surfaces, and thus large spaces are formed on two sides of the radiator. A hood in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-341743 has a dustproof net formed of a perforated metal in a portion that covers the cooling fan and the radiator.
In order to meet stringent exhaust gas regulations, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-26326 (paragraphs [0012] to [0018] and FIGS. 1 and 2) discloses a front mount mower as a work vehicle, in which a diesel particulate filter (DPF) is mounted as an engine accessory. The DPF is a large engine accessory and has a high operating temperature. Thus, the DPF requires a sufficient space and a cooling environment. Accordingly, a hood, which is swung around a pivot in a rear of the vehicle to cover a large engine compartment, increases in size and weight, thus requiring a large force to open and swing the hood.
In view of the above, there is demand for a work vehicle that has an improved hood to cover an engine and engine accessories provided behind a driver seat.